Linberg, Eric and Martha, Farm
Why it's listed
Perched on a bluff above the Meridian Creek valley about six miles west of Clifton, this stone farmstead reflects the work of Norwegian settlers in Bosque County. Eric Linberg began the large stone house in 1861, and four years later he married Martha Ringness. The house was presumably enlarged as the family grew. Linberg was one of three early masons in the settlement, and what remains of the house shows something of his skill. Tornadoes around 1900 and in 1976 damaged it, so its original layout is hard to determine; it was a split-level building with a one-room cellar dug into the hill. After a nearby bungalow was finished in 1913, the family used the house as a barn. Linberg's son Martin, who served as postmaster and ran the general store in Norse, lived here from 1901. A massive split-level stone barn on the north side of the hill is still in use and in excellent condition. Two small sheds also contribute. The farm complex is abandoned, but the land is still cultivated.
Significance in brief: The nomination points to the stone house as evidence of the skill of Eric Linberg, one of three early masons in the Norwegian settlement. His son Martin, a postmaster and general store operator in Norse, lived there after 1901. The large stone barn is described as of outstanding architectural note.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83003112, listed July 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Clifton, Clifton |
|---|---|
| County | Bosque County |
| Listed | July 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003112 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Eric Linberg (builder, mason) |
| Areas of significance | European, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The farm complex is described as abandoned in recent years, though the land is still cultivated. The house was badly damaged by a tornado in 1976, and the barn remains in use and in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Coordinates | 31.78516, -97.67775 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83003112.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000388
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.